Carson Wentz is on his third team in as many seasons — a rare feat for NFL quarterbacks, let alone a former No. 2 overall pick who is on just his second contract in the league.
But the former Pro Bowl signal-caller, who once led Philadelphia to an 11-2 start amid the team’s run to Super Bowl 52, has been traded twice since. He has yet to return to form from his time in Philadelphia, with either the Colts or Commanders.
Things haven’t improved much over his three most recent seasons, and Commanders coach Ron Rivera has been frank in his critiques of Wentz. When asked this week what the difference between Washington and the remainder of the NFC East is, Rivera had a one-word response: “Quarterback.”
“The truth is that this is a quarterback-driven league,” Rivera added. “And if you look at the teams that have been able to sustain success, they’ve been able to build it around a specific quarterback.”
That has not been the case for Wentz in recent years, as the Eagles, Colts and Commanders — so far — are aware.
MORE: Ron Rivera apologizes for ‘quarterback’ comments, Carson Wentz says the pair are ‘cool’
With that, The Sporting News looks at Wentz’s trade history, and how he ended up going to Philadelphia to Indianapolis to Washington:
Carson Wentz trade history
Browns to Eagles (2016 NFL Draft)
- Eagles get: 2016 first-round pick; conditional 2017 fifth-round pick
- Browns get: 2016 first-, third-, fourth-round picks; 2017 first-round pick; 2018 second-round pick
Wentz began his NFL career in Philadelphia thanks to a trade in which the Eagles sent a draft haul to the Browns for their No. 2 overall pick. That included the Nos. 8, 77 and 100 overall picks, as well as what turned out to be the Nos. 12 and 64 picks in the 2017 and ’18 drafts, respectively.
It appeared at first as though the Eagles had made the right choice in trading for Wentz. He led the team to a 7-9 record as a rookie and threw for 3,782 yards and 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions.
The following year, he led an 11-2 campaign and was a betting favorite for MVP before suffering a season-ending ACL injury in Week 14. Nick Foles led the team the rest of the way, culminating with a victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl 52.
Wentz missed the first two games of the 2018 campaign while recovering from his ACL injury, then missed the final three games of the season with issues to his back. In 11 games played — all starts — Wentz threw for 3,074 yards and 21 touchdowns to seven interceptions, leading the team to a 5-6 record.
Despite the mixed results of the 2018 season, Philadelphia in June 2019 signed Wentz to a four-year, $128 million extension that kicked in for the 2021 season. The investment seemed to pay off at first, as Wentz, in his first fully healthy season since his rookie campaign, led the team to a 9-7 record while throwing for a career-high 4,039 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Wentz’s final year in Philadelphia was a letdown, however: He played in 12 games, leading the team to a 3-8-1 record. He also threw for career-lows in yards (2,620), touchdowns (16) and completion percentage (57.4) and a career-high in interceptions (15), which also led the league. He was ultimately benched in favor of current starter Jalen Hurts for the final month of the season.
In February 2021, Philadelphia cut ties with its former No. 2 overall pick, trading him to Indianapolis.
MORE: Why the Colts acquired Carson Wentz from Eagles after disastrous 2020 campaign
Eagles to Colts (2021)
- Colts get: QB Carson Wentz
- Eagles get: 2021 third-round draft pick; 2022 conditional second-round pick
Indianapolis took a chance on Wentz ahead of the 2021 season, and with good reason. The move would reunite him with former Eagles offensive coordinator Frank Reich, by then head coach of the Colts, and give the team an established signal-caller after moving on from Philip Rivers.
Moreover, Indianapolis wouldn’t be on the hook for the entirety of Wentz’s contract. The Eagles paid a prorated portion of Wentz’s roster bonus, easing the Colts’ annual payments to the sixth-year quarterback.
In return, the Eagles got two draft picks: a 2021 third-rounder and 2022 conditional second-rounder (which turned into Indianapolis’ first-round pick after he played in 75 percent of the team’s snaps).
The Colts’ experiment didn’t work as intended, as Wentz led the team to a 9-8 season — missing out on the playoffs after a Week 18 loss to the Jaguars — while throwing for 3,563 yards and 27 touchdowns to seven interceptions.
Wentz would be on the move again in short order.
MORE: Carson Wentz trade grades: Commanders pay puzzling price for Colts’ starting QB
Colts to Commanders (2022)
- Commanders get: QB Carson Wentz, 2022 second-round pick
- Colts get: 2022 second- and third-round picks; conditional 2023 third-round pick (converts to a second-round pick if Wentz plays 70 percent of snaps)
The Colts traded Wentz to the Commanders in March, with the latter team taking on the full brunt of his contract. (That said, Wentz is not owed any money beyond 2022, making for a seemingly easy break for the Commanders.)
In return, the Colts somehow managed to recoup most of their losses from the Philadelphia trade, earning a 2022 second- and third-round pick, plus a conditional 2023 third-round pick.
With Wentz once again struggling amid a 1-4 start, the Commanders now must ask the question: Do they attempt to turn the season around with Wentz, or consider trading him so as to lose a less valuable draft pick in 2023?
It’s a question Rivera and general manager Martin Mayhew must consider — but the fact it’s even on the table is the perfect illustration to Wentz’s struggles following his early years with the Eagles.
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